This application claims priority of Taiwanese application no. 091218428, filed on Nov. 15, 2002.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic apparatus, more particularly to an electronic apparatus having an interlocking device for locking releasably a keyboard device to a host module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional portable electronic apparatus, such as a notebook computer, includes a host module and a display module connected pivotally to the host module. A keyboard device is mounted fixedly on the host module. As a result, users often operate the keyboard device in an awkward pose to maintain proper viewing of the display module, which is both inconvenient and unhealthy.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus having an interlocking device for locking releasably a keyboard device to a host module so as to overcome the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art.
Accordingly, an electronic apparatus of the present invention comprises:
a host module including a module case, the module case having a top side that is formed with a keyboard-receiving groove, the module case further having a rear wall that defines a rear end of the keyboard-receiving groove, the rear wall having front and rear sides opposite to each other in a first direction, and a lateral side that extends in the first direction and that interconnects the front and rear sides, the rear wall being formed with a latch-receiving groove that extends from the lateral side in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the latch-receiving groove being open at the rear side of the rear wall, the rear wall being further formed with a latch hole in the front side, the latch hole extending to the latch-receiving groove and being spaced apart from the lateral side in the second direction;
a keyboard device disposed removably in the keyboard-receiving groove, the keyboard device having a rear end formed with a latch-engaging groove that is registered with the latch hole when the keyboard device is disposed in the keyboard-receiving groove such that the rear end of the keyboard device is disposed adjacent to the rear wall of the module case; and
an interlocking device for locking releasably the keyboard device to the host module, the interlocking device including a latch member movably disposed in the latch-receiving groove, the latch member having a pivot portion pivotally retained in the latch-receiving groove, an operating portion extending from the pivot portion and exposed from the latch-receiving groove at the rear side of the rear wall, and a latching portion extending from the pivot portion and formed with a wedge-shaped latch projection that has an inclined top side and that is extendible into the keyboard-receiving groove through the latch hole.
The operating portion is operable so as to pivot the latch member in the latch-receiving groove from a first position, where the latch projection extends into the keyboard-receiving groove through the latch hole, to a second position, where the latch projection is retracted into the latch-receiving groove and ceases to extend into the keyboard-receiving groove.
The interlocking device further includes a biasing member for biasing the latch member to pivot to the first position.
Downward movement of the keyboard device into the keyboard-receiving groove while the latch member is at the first position enables the keyboard device to engage the inclined top side of the latch projection and to force the latch member to pivot from the first position to the second position against biasing action of the biasing member until the latch-engaging groove registers with the latch hole, during which time the latch member pivots from the second position back to the first position due to restoring action of the biasing member so as to engage the latch projection within the latch-engaging groove, thereby locking releasably the keyboard device to the host module.